


Back For Good

by orphan_account



Category: Adam Levine (Musician), Blake Shelton (Musician), Shevine - Fandom, The Voice (US) RPF
Genre: M/M, Shevine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 21:36:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5556425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blake's life is in total chaos as he sees his marriage crumbling and finds out his best friend is in love with him. But when the dust settles he realizes that he wants to take Adam up on his promise to love him better than anyone else ever has before. Is it too late for Blake to get a second chance?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story originally appeared as "I Want You Back", written by LiterallyMare. I am now reposting it under the name of MimiRedCrow, after my stories were orphaned without my consent in May of 2014. If you have any questions or concerns about this, feel free to contact me with them. I am very thankful to AO3 for letting me repost and reclaim the stories I wrote and repost them under new titles.

Prologue

It would be a long time before Blake would be able to come to terms with what happened the night after the results show, two weeks before the finale of the spring edition of The Voice. 

They often when back to Adam's place after the results shows, sometimes consoling each other for what team members they had lost that round. Blake and Adam both tended to get really attached to their teams, though Adam tended to be more neurotic and self blaming over his loses than Blake. Not that he was immune from feelings of having failed a person.

That night, he didn't realize the person he would fail wasn't going to be one of his team members, but the person closest to him. 

It started out just like a typical night for them. They were sitting on Adam's couch, drinking vodka with coke. Blake had managed to escape any eliminations on his team that night, but Adam had lost one person and only had one dog left in the race while Blake still had two. They got pretty competitive with each other, but they also didn't hesitate to offer suggestions that were helpful either. After all, they wanted the contestants to succeed as musicians, even if they didn't win the whole thing. 

"It's so hard picking out songs for this guy," Adam groaned and sighed heavily. "I think I have a perfect song for him, but I need to get it cleared first...he needs to have a big moment next week. Show up your two girls."

Blake smirked. "You think he can do that, hmmm? I'll admit, he is pretty good, but I have a few aces up my sleeve." Then he dropped the cocky bravdo, looking closely at Adam. "I bet you can get the clearance. You're Adam fucking Levine...the enigma." 

"Enigma?" He raised an eyebrow in return. "Someone's been using the dictionary lately."

"Yeah, I had to use it to prop up one of the legs on my bed," He laughed and drained his glass. 

"I think you're a lot smarter than you think. Or look." Adam laughed and finished off his glass as well. "I think we should order a pizza."

"It's never a bad time for pizza." Blake agreed and glanced at the two liter of coke. "More coke too, I think..." 

"Miranda doesn't let you drink coke at home?" He teased and shook his head a little. "You are whipped, my boy."

Blake took a deep breath and a bit of sadness came into his eyes. His marriage wasn't going as well as he had hoped it would. They'd been together six years before hand, so it seemed like getting married was just putting a legal clause on what they already had. But that was before they both had the kind of success they had now and it had changed things in the relationship. 

Adam noticed the look and frowned, concerned. "You okay?" 

"Yes." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "No. I don't know. Things aren't going so good with me and Miranda right now." 

"I'm sorry," Adam sighed, his face turning thoughtful. "You want to talk about it?"

He shrugged. "Not much to talk about. We've just been growing apart so much the past year. Seems like we ran out of things to say to each other. I think we want different things in life. I feel like...she's going to come next week, be here for the finale. And I guess when we go back to Oklahoma after...I think it's our last chance to fix things." 

"How do you feel about that?" His friend peered at him with those beautiful hazel eyes, an expression in them that Blake couldn't quite place. 

"I think...I have a hard time believin' I'll ever find someone again. But I love Miranda...I always will...and if she's happier without me.." He trailing off, bending over at the waist, elbows on his thighs and hands dangling between his legs. 

Adam shook his head. "Blake...I hope you two can work it out, but if you can't, that doesn't mean you're going to be alone the rest of your life." 

Blake glanced at him and smiled a little. "Maybe I'll have to come crash here for awhile, make it a bachelor pad until you find another supermodel." 

"Yeah, well," He shrugged. "I might need to take a break...I don't know..."

"The world must be coming to an end!" Blake teased him in return, hoping to bring the mood of the situation back up. "Or is there already someone in mind?" 

"Maybe."

"Who?" 

"You'll find out eventually..." 

Blake grinned. "I better. I want to give 'er my personal seal of approval. Make sure she's good enough for you."

Adam didn't smile back, instead he look at Blake closely. Blake wondered if something was wrong, if this girl was maybe with someone else and that's why there was that sadness etched on his friend's face. 

"Now you look like a kicked puppy..." He put his arm around the younger man. "Do you need to talk?" 

He shook his head a little, those eyes still intently looking at his face. Then he bent over and before Blake could say or do anything, Adam was pressing his lips against Blake's lips. And the thing was, he didn't want to do anything about it. It felt so good, so right it made his stomach turn over. 

When they finally parted, Adam looked at him cautiously. Blake got the impression he was waiting for him to punch him in the face. But Blake didn't feel like punching Adam. Honestly he didn't know whether he wanted another kiss or to run away. 

After three years, it never occurred to him that he could be attracted to Adam that way, yet he could feel the excitement coursing through his veins. Maybe all the touching and hugging and kissing hadn't been a joke or loving on his best bro...maybe it had been him wanting just this very thing. 

But it wasn't that simple. He was married, he'd always seen himself as straight and he knew that there was a reason there were no openly gay country singers. And Nashville certainly wouldn't tolerate a country singer that had been married to woman and then suddenly took up with a man. He wasn't sure if any of that mattered, because it did feel right, but he did know that being married did matter. 

"Adam..." He sighed and reached out to touch the other man's face gently. "I don't have any words for this..."

"Tell me that you haven't been faking it...that you haven't been pretending..." Adam's voice cracked slightly. "Tell me it's not just me who feels like that."

"I can tell you that," Blake said slowly. "But...I'm married. I gotta...I can't just...dammit...I never planned on this..." 

"I didn't either." He replied quietly. "But it happened and I can't help it. I love you, Blake." 

Blake felt his heart stop for a moment, then two more beats came together hard at once. "Adam...you know I love you...but I can't...I can't do this..." 

"I was afraid you would say that." Adam put his head into his hands. "And I know it's not just about you being married. It's about your career. Your image. How you see yourself." 

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair again, restless. "I don't...I can't lie to you and say that those things aren't in there too. My whole life, I never saw this coming." 

"And you don't want to go further than this?" Adam's hand hooked lightly around Blake's thigh. "I don't normally believe in cheating either, Blake...but if you and Miranda are already on the outs...let me show you just how easy you are to love. You don't ever have to be alone, Blake." 

"Adam..." He reached down and gently removed the man's hand from his leg and stood up. "I'm sorry...but I can't. Not now...I'm so sorry." 

Blake saw the nod and the way Adam's shoulder drooped, his head fell into his hands. Then he couldn't see much of anything at all through the haze of tears in his eyes. He didn't want to hurt the person he cared about so much, but the confusion was prowling restlessly through his mind like a caged animal. 

It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, but he looked down at his friend one last time before heading to the door. He paused a moment before he let himself out, but he forced himself not to look back. It was like a knife in his gut to see the pain on Adam's face and know he had put it there. 

The spring air was still a bit cool, even in Los Angeles. When Blake stepped outside, it made the tears sliding down his cheeks sting slightly. But it didn't compare at all to the hurt in his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Almost four months later, Blake was finishing up his packing to go back to LA for the fall session of "The Voice." They were going to film the Knock out rounds in two days and then start the live shows two weeks later, and this time he was planning on staying in LA for the whole season. As much as he loved Oklahoma, he needed some time away from the ranch. 

And the memories.

Sitting on his night stand table was the paperwork that had changed his life; the discharge for him and Miranda's divorce. Oklahoma had a ninety day waiting period after filing and could give a discharge within ten days after if the divorce was not contested. As much as it broke his heart, he stuck to what he'd told Adam...if that was what she really wanted, he wanted Miranda to be happy. With or without him. 

The two weeks after Adam had confessed how he felt about him had been very awkward, even more so with his wife around. Blake had hoped they would be able to patch things up and that his friendship with Adam could be repaired. 

That had been one of the times in his life that Blake Shelton had been totally wrong.

He and Adam had done everything they could to keep things looking good between them on camera, but they weren't hanging around after the shows like they always had in the past. Blake wanted to think it was because Miranda was there, but he wasn't so sure of that at all. There was too much pain in the other man's eyes to think it was just respecting the couple's space.

Making matters worse, the day after the finale they got back to Oklahoma and Blake hadn't had a chance to fix things with Adam. So he was already feeling pretty low when he met Miranda at the table that morning. That was when she explained she felt they'd grown in different directions and she wanted to dissolve their marriage so they could each be free to live their lives apart. 

So now, almost four months after the ball was set into motion Blake was without the two most important people in his life. He had given Miranda her wings and wished her well, but he wasn't sure he could just close the door on Adam. 

Through some very lonely months he'd been thinking about the way the other man had kissed him, the way it had felt all of the times he had wrapped his arms around him. It had felt so right, but he kept telling himself he was a married man, it was just friendship. But now he wasn't so sure that was true. 

And some of those lonely nights, he felt tears burn his eyes. In the back of his mind, a verse he'd heard somewhere a long, long time ago echoed 'the saddest words of mouth and pen, are those words what could have been.' He didn't really know what that meant truly until now. At least with Miranda he'd gotten a chance to explore that possibility and even though it feel apart, he couldn't say he didn't have a chance to make it work. 

But there were other nights that kiss came to his mind and he touched himself. Obviously that was not a normal response if he was this perfectly straight guy and Adam was his perfectly straight best friend. And yet...he felt more exhilarated than he had in a while in those secret moments in the middle of the night. 

So Blake had a mission going back to LA that morning. He was going to go to Adam and tell him that he wanted to see what could happen...if what he had offered four months ago was still available. And if it wasn't...well...he would just have to earn it. 

********

It was a rare rainy afternoon in Los Angles, but it was the third week of September so that happened now and then in the fall. Almost four months since that night the first week of June when Adam had kissed Blake and told him how he felt. And almost four months since Blake had shot Adam down. 

Adam tried to be fair in his feelings. Blake was married, after all, and normally he wasn't into cheating either. He'd done it once and it had been one of the most demoralizing experiences in his life, one he didn't want to repeat again. But he knew that Blake and Miranda wouldn't be able to work it out and he wanted to comfort his friend.

If Blake would've let him, Adam would've shown him that no one would ever love him the way he did. But now, he didn't see how that was going to happen. Maybe it wasn't entirely fair, but he felt rejected. If Blake had said that he needed to see what happened with Miranda first, that wouldn't have stung so much. But he just said he couldn't do it and walked out. It felt so much more like a rejection then if they had at least talked about it and then Blake would've stayed.

The next morning they were going to film the Knock Out rounds and Adam wasn't looking forward to it as much as he normally might have. He worked with his team that morning and made a point to be out of there before his path could cross Blake's. Tomorrow they would be expected to be friends again, to have a bromance again, to pretend everything was just fine between them because that's what everyone thought. No one knew the truth but him and Blake. 

Instead of doing something fun or relaxing with his afternoon off, Adam had been sulking. Wondering how he would slap on a smile and pretend he hadn't had his heart broken by his best friend. By the man he had loved. Honestly, still loved. That was the worst part, if he had gotten over that maybe they could salvage the friendship. But four months had done nothing to change the fact that Adam loved Blake and, it seemed at this point, always would love him. 

He was sprawled on the couch fiddling with his phone listlessly when the doorbell rang. He didn't hear anyone buzz at the gate, so it had to have been someone who had their own code. That narrowed the field down some, but it didn't prepare him for the surprise of finding a soaking wet, six foot five Okie on his doorstep. 

"Blake..." Adam blinked. "What are you doing here?" 

"Mind inviting me inside first? It's raining like hell out here..." Blake didn't make eye contact with him, ducking his head a little. 

Adam actually had to think about it for a moment, then stepped aside wordlessly. Blake moved in past him, taking off his wet denim jacket and hanging it up. Hopefully he wasn't planning on staying long, because Adam didn't know what he had to say to him.

"Figured you would be getting settled at your place." He finally spoke up to fill the empty space. 

"We need to talk," Blake ran a hand through his dark hair where more strands of silver seemed to have woven in during their time apart. "We really need to talk, Adam." 

"So talk," Adam headed back to the couch, feeling tense and restless inside. It hurt to have him this close. He sat down and gazed at the older man with a mixture of caution, grief and resentment. 

Blake sat down beside him and finally they made eye contact. His blue eyes were also grieved, but was it for the same reason as Adam's or was it about his failed marriage? It was hard to say. 

"You haven't spoken to me without the cameras on in four months." Blake began slowly. "I'm sure you know Miranda and I got a divorce. Got the discharge two days ago, right before I came out here."

Adam nodded a little. "I heard. I'm sorry." 

"Could've used a friend." He admitted with a sigh. "But...I guess I understand why you haven't exactly been banging down my door lately."

"Do you?" There was a touch of ice in Adam's voice. "Why are you here, Blake?"

"'Cus I fucked up." He turned to look at Adam. "I didn't...things didn't work out the right way last time. I didn't...I guess I hurt you and I didn't mean to." 

Adam's jaw tensed. "You're damn right you hurt me, Blake. If you don't feel the same way, fine. If you didn't feel right doing anything behind Miranda's back, fine, I can respect that even. But you couldn't even fucking talk it out...you just ran out on me."

"I know," Blake nodded slowly. "And I shouldn't have...I really shouldn't have done that. I would never want to hurt you, Adam. You're my best friend...and I love you."

"Sure you're not trying to psych yourself into putting on a good show tomorrow?" He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth and he saw the hurt cross Blake's face. "Shit...that didn't come out right."

"I probably deserved that." 

"There was nothing stopping you from picking up the phone or sending a text either, you know." Adam continued in a softer voice, looking down at his hands. 

"No." Blake agreed. "But I had to work it out all in my head. And when I started figuring it out...I wanted to get things wrapped up with my marriage first. Before..." 

He trailed off and Adam looked up, frowning. "Before what?" 

"Before I came back here and...told you I want you." 

Adam felt his heart skip a beat and then pound twice as hard to make up for it. Those were the words he'd wanted to hear almost from that first season of the show, but they were coming after four months of grief, thinking any chance with the country star was gone for good. And on top of that, a smaller part of him was afraid this was some sort of rebound thing.

"Blake..." He sighed, feeling very weary. "You know I want that more than anything, right? But I don't....how am I supposed to take that seriously when you don't speak to me for four months? And maybe you're just afraid of being alone....maybe you're grasping at straws. How can I think this is really what you want?"

"Adam..." He reached over and took the other man by the hand. "Think about that night, okay? Think about what I said...I said I can't...I never said I didn't want to or I wasn't interested. I'm pretty sure I even told you that I love you..." 

Adam swallowed hard and looked away, feeling tears gather in his eyes. "Then why...how could you just walk out like that?" 

"Adam..." Blake's hand dropped his hand and reached out to cradle the other man's cheek in his big, warm hand. 

Adam hated himself for turning into the contact but it felt so good. And he'd missed it so much. 

"You have to understand. I come from a different place than you do...it would be really frowned upon to let it out the things I thought about us doin'. Even before the last time I saw you. And...I kept tellin' myself it was just because I loved you so much as a friend. But I think I've been lying to myself. And I've missed you so damn much the last four months you don't even know. But I was afraid I'd fucked things up...I didn't know how to make it better...and I wanted to be...be really available before I told you all this..." 

Adam swallowed hard, letting his hazel eyes finally meet Blake's. The man had the most amazing blue eyes he'd ever seen. "I want to believe you. You have no idea how much I want to believe you, Blake. But the last four months have been hell. I can't just...pretend you didn't walk out of here without giving a fuck about how I felt." 

"You really think I felt that way?" Blake frowned. "Adam...it killed me to know I'd hurt you. Please..."

"No..." Adam reached out and put one finger on Blake's lips to stop him from talking anymore. "I'm not saying I don't still love you, because as hard as I've tried to stop...I can't. I love you. But I need to know that this isn't you doing this to get our friendship back or because you're afraid of being alone. I need to know you want this because you love me the way I love you. Understand?" 

He took his finger away and Blake nodded slowly, his tongue unconsciously coming out to touch his lip where Adam's finger had been. "How are you going to know that, Adam? What do I have to do?" 

"You have to prove it." A slight smile crossed his face. "You have to show me."

"Show you?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"Show me." Adam repeated himself, standing up to lead Blake back to the door. "Show me that you really want me. Show me that you really love me. If you really do...then you'll know how to do it." 

Before Blake could say anything more, Adam gently pushed him out of the door and closed it behind him. He wanted it all to work out with Blake, but he had to protect his heart this time. So Blake was going to have to prove his love. He needed that, and if he saw that Blake was sincere, he would give him the love he'd wanted to share so badly with the other man.

Adam leaned against the door and closed his eyes, silently praying that Blake would be able to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

 

Blake was very nervous when he got onto the set the next afternoon. He felt like he was jumping out of skin and through it all he had to act like he was calm and just looking forward to another go round of the Knock-Outs. But as he was going through wardrobe and make up, he kept looking for Adam. 

He'd called almost ninety minutes before he even got to the studio, making sure there were a dozen red roses waiting in Adam's dressing room for when the rock star arrived to get ready for the show. He honestly wasn't sure if you sent other men flowers or not, but this whole thing was new to him. Blake had never been attracted to another man before. Maybe he noticed if they were attractive, but he never had the urge to kiss and touch another man before he'd met Adam. When he'd tried to kiss some of his guy friends before at country music events, he was just screwing around. But with Adam, it was different.

With Adam everything was different. That's why he needed to convince him that what he felt was real. Blake knew all too well what could happen in rebound relationships, but he felt like it didn't count this time because he had fallen in love with Adam before he'd even been available. The more he thought about it, the harder it was for Blake to pinpoint the moment that friendship became love. Perhaps it had just always been that way. 

Blake was sitting in the makeup chair when Adam settled in the chair beside him, flashing a bright smile in his direction. Apparently he'd gotten the roses and sending flowers to another man was appropriate. 

"Hey Big Country..." He greeted him like that night four months ago had never happened. "You ready for the Knock Outs?" 

"As ready as I ever get for the damn things..." Blake shook his head a little, his dislike of the on-the-spot decisions of that round very well known by now. "It's going to be interesting to see who listened to me yesterday and who didn't."

"I hope they were listening to what I said yesterday too," Adam nodded, then turned his head to give Blake a meaningful look. 

Suddenly Blake didn't think they were talking about their artists anymore. Of course with the makeup artists dancing around them to get them ready for the cameras, they couldn't exactly say much. It was one thing to be touchy feely and silly and teasing, but it would be another to have a heartfelt discussion about their relationship in front of the crew. 

Though he imagined that if Adam did give him another chance, sooner or later things were going to come out. Blake realized that was inevitable and it scared the shit out of him. But that fear seemed small compared to the loneliness he'd felt for the other man, especially the last few weeks. 

"Well, let's see what happens." Blake nodded a little, finally feeling the need to say something. "I hope we both find out our people were listening." 

Adam gave him a little smile and nodded, his eyes back to the warm brown that Blake loved, not the cold, pained look that had been in them the afternoon before. But there wasn't the happy, care free expression that he normally saw in them when they were together. At least the affection was still there, though somehow it seemed more guarded. He hoped he was seeing it there, prayed it wasn't an illusion of his own desperate need to know he really could get another chance.

He was relieved when the makeup artists left them alone for awhile. Leaning over, Blake whispered into Adam's ear. 

"You wanna get together after the show?" 

"What do you have in mind?" 

Adam turned and looked at him, his face so close to Blake's it would have been very easy to kiss him. And his lips looked so soft. It seemed that all he could think about now was how that first kiss had felt and how it had been four months since it happened. And he hadn't even been aware enough to enjoy it properly, though he had enjoyed it. 

"Uh...a date." Blake licked his lower lip without really realizing he was doing it, staring at the other man's mouth. "We could get something to eat. Go out or order in...whatever sounds better to you. I mean, I'm staying in LA til the end of the season...not leaving at all, so it would be good to find some good places to eat. And most dates involve food, right?'

"You're nervous," Adam smirked a little, not bothering to move his face away from Blake's. "It's me, Blake..."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed, still unable to stop from looking at Adam's lips. "But dammit...I just don't want to mess things up even more." 

Blake couldn't hold back any longer and before Adam could reply, he leaned in and kissed him firmly on the mouth. It was a bit strange to be kissing another man, but Adam's lips were soft and supple, and the strange feeling left almost immediately. All he felt now was happiness and more than a little arousal too. He reached up and cupped his cheek, sighing at how smooth the other man's skin was and how perfect it felt against the palm of his hand. 

There was a knock on the door and the two men jerked away from each other like they were teenagers being caught necking by their parents. The stage manager didn't seem to notice anything out of line, or if he did it didn't show on his face. He nodded at them, holding up two fingers to indicate that they would be ready to start filming in two minutes. 

"Time to go out, guys." 

He got to his feet and nodded, glancing over at Adam. He was glad they didn't have time to talk now. The last thing he wanted to hear was that things were too messed up to be fixed with the taste of the rock star's lips still lingering on his own. 

********

After they were done filming, Adam went backstage to get ready to go home. A smile crossed his face when he saw the roses. That was a gesture most men didn't ever receive, and he knew that Blake was at least trying. And it was cute he was so nervous trying to ask if he wanted to get together after the show. 

He didn't have much time to dwell, though, before there was a knock on the door. True to Blake form, five seconds after the knock he just let himself into Adam's dressing room. They'd never been too big on giving each other their personal space. At least that part of things was still normal. 

"So...where do you want to go?" Blake asked after he closed the door behind him. "I'm up for anything. Just about anything. Not that es-car-gotey thing..so if you want French, please tell me they serve more than that. Snails are snot with trailers." 

Adam couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "Believe it or not, Blake, escargote doesn't rank high on my list of foods either. In fact, I've never tried it. I did, however, try squid...they call it calamari...and it was really good." 

"Calamari is SQUID?" The look on Blake's face was almost comical. "Shit...I've eaten fried squid?" 

He laughed and nodded. "You've eaten fried squid if you've had calamari before, yes." 

"It was good, but I think I'll stick to onion rings. Jalpeno poppers. Shit like that." Blake wrinkled his nose. "Anyway...do we have a date?" 

"You consider it a date, huh?" Adam smirked a little. He liked the sound of that, considering how many times they'd gotten food and drinks together before, though they almost always went back to his place. They'd never really had a sit down dinner before, and he liked the idea of that.

"Yeah," He nodded and looked at him closely. "I mean..you do too, don't ya?" 

He nodded, the smile coming bigger now. "I really want it to be a date. I don't think we've ever gone out to eat together. Are you sure you're okay with that? Not going to damage your good ol' boy image?"

"Adam...I don't think it matters anymore." Blake shrugged his big shoulders and sighed. "I mean...you want me to show you how I feel, right? So stop worrying about everything and let me show you."

Adam walked over to Blake and looked deeply into his eyes. He was honestly afraid of getting hurt. He wanted a future with Blake so much, and he was afraid of letting himself feel it was possible before it seemed certain. Having him walk out was hard enough, but the closer he got, the harder it would be if this was just a mistaken case of friendship love for romantic love or a fear of being alone after his marriage had collapsed.

But if Adam was being honest enough with himself to admit he was afraid, he should also be honest enough to admit that Blake was already so close to his heart that no matter what happened, pain was inevitable. But maybe if they could be together and work through things, the pain would be broken up with many days of happiness. 

"Okay," He finally nodded a little, an almost shy smile touching his lips. "Where are we going?"

Blake considered it for a moment. "You like the beach, right? There's a little cafe down near the beach. Not this end of town, like the poorer end of town. It's usually not too crowded. I'm not even sure what kind of food they serve...but it's got uh, whaddya call it...ambeyonce?" 

"That sounds good to me," Adam nodded his agreement. At this point he would've agreed to eating under a bridge to have an official date with Blake. "Let me drive, though, okay? No offense Big Country, but you need to work on your LA driving technique."

The country singer laughed in return and nodded. "Yeah, not that many dirt roads out this way. But I guess I'll pick it up now...gonna be here for like four months straight. I think that's the longest time ever." 

"It's a great city, it's even got a lot of nature." He never missed an opprotunity to talk up his home town. "You just need the right tour guide."

"You offering?" Blake gave him a crooked smile as they walked out of Adam's dressing room. "Because if you are, I'm up for it." 

Adam couldn't think of anything he'd like better than having a chance to spend time with Blake and showing him what the city had to offer. Perhaps maybe even he could convince him to spend more time in the city between seasons. But he was putting the cart before the horse, something he was very good at in relationships.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'd enjoy having an excuse to spend extra time with you."

"Don't need an excuse," Blake shrugged as they headed out to the parking area. "I mean, I want to spend extra time with you anyway." 

Adam didn't say anything as he unlocked his Corvette and settled behind the wheel. He didn't know why he was being so cautious. It was just Blake, his Blake, his best friend, the same person he was four months ago when being around him had been the easiest, best thing in the world. Blake who had always been there for him. He couldn't negate all of that just because he walked out when Adam revealed his feelings. It hadn't been a rejection, not outright even if it felt like one. And maybe if he kept him at arm's length Blake would get frustrated and give up. But God, he was so scared to lose him completely! 

"You okay there?" Blake said as he settled into the seat beside him, looking a little uncomfortable as he tried to fit his long legs into the little sports car. "Damn, you get this one out of a cracker jack box or something?"

"Yeah, it was a five thousand pound box. You can only buy them in Lithuania" He deadpanned, ignoring the first question. 

"Bullshit," The other man chuckled and shook his head a little. "If you're really okay, are you ready for our first date?" 

Adam couldn't help but smile when Blake put it that way. "Yeah, I think I am. You'll have to give me directions."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

 

The drive to the little diner on the beach was more relaxed than Blake's insides felt. He didn't know why he was so nervous about going on an actual date with Adam. He'd known him for three years and he could honestly say the rock star was one of his very best friends. But he wanted more than that...he wanted a chance to show Adam that he loved him in a way that wasn't going to go away.

"There it is..." He jerked out of his nervous jumble of thoughts to point out a small, faded white building with big windows sitting only a few feet back from the beach. "I think the drive's right here." 

"I see it," Adam turned into the parking lot and looked for a place. "Great location. The beach isn't so built up around here, so we might actually see some wildlife beyond floating trash." 

He gave Blake a happy smile that made the cowboy's heart flip flop a little after he put the Vette in park and hopped out of the car. It took Blake a little bit more effort to get out of the tiny sports vehicle, grumbling under his breath about the car being too damn small for normal people. 

Blake was finally able to get out and catch up to Adam. He opened the door for him, though he honestly had no clue what the procedure was for two guys out on a date. Did he open the door every other time and let Adam get it rest of the time? Did whoever got there first open it? He was confused, but he was determined to try to get it right. 

"Smells good in here," Adam commented as they stepped into the resteraunt. There was a bar and a half dozen tables in the interior part of the building, then two steps down there was a "U" shaped section that went around three sides of the building, lined with small tables that sat four and a wall of nearly ceiling to floor length windows.

"Let's sit down there," Blake motioned to the windows. "Got a good view of the beach." 

"Of course," He nodded a little and smiled. "Let's grab a table, I think you seat yourself."

Of course, once they went down to the table Blake was faced with the dilemma of whether to pull Adam's chair out or not. He stood there a moment looking like a deer in the headlights. 

"Relax," Adam chuckled and sat down. "And sit down." 

Blake's bottom dropped into the chair and he gave his date a sheepish smile. "I just don't...you know...know the protocol and all."

"Hey, this is my first date with a guy too..." Adam leaned in, lowering his voice. "I mean, I've messed around with a few guys, but none of them ever bought me dinner first." 

He flashed a smile at Blake, one the country singer recognized quite well. It was the same one he got whenever Adam did something on the show to goad him, he always ended it with that cocky little smart ass smile. But this time, he wasn't trying to goad him. It seemed like he was trying to tease him in another manner completely. 

"Well, I am a gentleman." Blake answered matter of factly. "And...I guess we'll just seat ourselves and open doors ourselves? Does that work for you?" 

"Definitely," He chuckled a little and picked up a menu. "It would look kind of weird, pulling the chairs out for each other. And I would be pissed if you always did it for me. We're both men. I'm not going to the woman here. Neither one of us should have to be...we are who we are." 

Blake was visibly relieved at hearing that. "Well, I didn't want you to be a woman either. Or else I'd be out with a woman. I want you as you are...the Adam Levine I fell for in the first place."

He was sure he detected a faint blush on Adam's cheeks as the other man opened the menu. Blake opened his as well, glancing over at his date every few seconds. It was strange to him that Adam didn't seem to react to what he said about falling for him. 

"Adam?" Blake knew this wasn't the time or place to start something, but he had to know. "You okay?" 

"I'm great," Adam smiled and it seemed sincere. "I was thinking I'd like to have a steak. It seems like they have a little bit of everything here...if the food is good, we should put this on the list of places to come back to." 

He folded his menu and set it on the table. "And you can't beat that view." 

Blake was a little relieved to hear Adam talking about having a list of places to revisit. That had to mean he didn't think this was going to be a one time thing, right? He needed to stop worrying so much. Forcing himself to take a deep breath and chill the fuck out, he smiled at Adam.

"That view is amazing." He agreed with a little nod. "That's definitely one thing you don't see in Oklahoma..."

"When was the last time you went to the beach?" Adam looked at him out of the corner of his eye. 

"I visit a few times every season." Blake shrugged a little. "Not like, laying out burning my skin off, but I go for a walk, looking at the sunset. I love nature. It's the most beautiful thing in the world, I think...sunsets and the water and the woods. It feels almost sacred, you know?" 

Those beautiful hazel eyes that were turning to him were another of nature's best work in Blake's mind. He started to open his mouth, but Adam spoke first.

"I never thought you were such a romantic. Even though I have to admit country music is pretty damn romantic." Adam smiled thoughtfully. 

"You have no idea how romantic I can be." He replied pointedly. 

Then the waitress was there to take their order, stopping Adam from replying. Blake was glad for that. He didn't want anything to spoil the moment. As far as moments went it was a pretty great one when the waitress walked away and left them alone. The light from the early evening sun came in through the windows and feel across Adam's face in a way that couldn't be called anything other than truly beautiful.

Blake felt his heart constrict with love for the other man. Even if he didn't truly understand the ins and outs of being with a guy yet, he did know he loved Adam. And at the end of the day, he wanted to believe that was the only thing that really mattered. 

*****

Dinner was actually a lot of fun once Blake loosened up and Adam pushed all the worries he had about the possibility of them having a relationship into the back of his head. He had told Blake he needed to prove that he really wanted him, now the trick was standing back and letting him have the chance to do it without worrying himself to death.

"Still plenty of light out there," Blake nodded to the beach outside the window as they were waiting for the check. "Wanna take a walk?" 

"On the beach?" Adam's lips twitched up into a pleased smile. "Yeah. That would be cool. Can't beat watching the sun set into the ocean."

Blake smiled too. "It's one of my favorite parts about bein' in LA." 

When the waitress came back with the check, Blake picked it up without giving Adam a chance to even consider paying half. He wasn't going to complain, though, since it had been Blake's idea to take him on a real date. So when they went up to the counter to pay, he eyeballed the pictures of the cafe from the over the last four decades on the walls. The same married couple was standing in front for each picture.

Adam had always questioned whether he was cut out for marriage or not. In his twenties he had been fairly promiscious, something he saw now as making up for not having girls really interested in him in high school. He did love women, but he also had crushes on men for as long as he could remember. And there had been a few friends he'd experimented with over the years, though he hadn't gone all the way with any of them. 

If things went that far, Blake would be the first man he actually had proper sex with and Adam was willing to bet that the same went for Blake himself. It was a powerful thought, but one he decided to put on hold for now. Once again he was putting the cart before the horse. And there was also the possiblity that Blake would chicken out the first time things got hot and heavy between them. 

"Earth to Adam?" Blake's voice broke him out of his reverie and Adam hoped the sheepish smile he gave didn't betray he'd been thinking about sex.

"Sorry. Ran out of attention span there."

The country singer chuckled a little in return, nodding his head. One of his huge hands touched the small of Adam's back as he guided him towards the door in a gesture that he was sure Blake didn't even realize he was doing. But he sort of liked it. He didn't want to be treated like a woman, not in the least, but he didn't want to be treated just like one of Blake's guy buddies either. At least not in most ways...being best friends was fun too and he didn't want to lose that to gain a relationship.

So many thoughts. Adam's feet carried him out of the door and around the back of the resturant to the beach. The change in footing brought him back to earth and he glanced at Blake. 

"Are you gonna get sand in your cowboy boots?" He glanced at the taller man with a little smirk. 

"Probably," Blake shrugged. "You're gonna get sand in your...shoes." 

Adam shook his head and leaned on his friend for a moment to rid himself of his shoes and then his socks. "There! Now we can complete the walk on the beach moment by going down to the surf." 

The look on the other man's face was skeptical. "You want me to take my boots off?" 

"Well duh," He laughed in return. "Come on, Blake, get some sand between your toes. It'll be awesome, I promise. And I won't tell anyone if you have hammer toe or anything..."

Blake watched him for a moment then sighed, leaning on Adam now to get his boots off. "You are the only person I'd do this for, I hope you know that."

"Showing your naked feet in public! Scandalous!" Adam teased him further, and once the cowboy dropped his boots and socks on the sand, he grabbed them. "Hold that thought..."

Adam trotted back to the car and dropped both sets of shoes and socks in the back seat. This was LA, if you left your shoes on the sand they probably wouldn't be there when you got back. And holding your shoes always seemed awkward to him. 

Rejoining Blake, he flashed a bright smile at the other man. "Okay...let's walk. And by the way, I've seen much nastier feet than yours before."

"Compliments will get you no where...especially when you lay it on thick like that." Blake deadpanned in his drawl. 

"Sorry, that's not my particular fetish." He rolled his eyes as they headed for the surf side by side.

He raised an eyebrow. "That mean you got fetishes?" 

Adam blushed and ducked his head slightly. "I....am not answering that." 

"Well, I hope I find out sooner or later...preferably sooner." Blake reached out and touched Adam's elbow lightly. He was tempted to move away. It definitely might seem a little strange if they were caught holding hands on the beach, but at least Blake wasn't married anymore. He felt the other man's fingers trail lightly down his arm until they reached the palm of his hand and took hold.

Adam hesitated a moment, then squeezed the hand back. When he glanced at Blake out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other man was looking at him closely. 

"What?"

"Every time I try to tell you how I feel, you get real quiet. I don't understand, Adam." Blake frowned. "You wanted me to show you how I felt. And I'm trying to do that. And I keep hearing how important communication is...but you don't seem to...you shut down on me. Why?"

He could make up an excuse, but when he looked back at Blake and the concern in his beautiful blue eyes hidden behind the golden light at the end of the day, he knew he had to tell the truth.

"I just want this so badly. I'm afraid you think you love me, but you're confusing friendship love for another kind of love. Or that you're on the rebound after your marriage falling apart. You're afraid to be alone. I mean, I'm terrified of being alone too. But I don't want to be with someone just because we're both afraid of being alone."

His voice cracked slightly and he looked down at the sand beneath their feet. "I know you were married when I made my feelings known and I realize you aren't the cheating kind. But why did you have to just walk out like that? It made me feel like I'd done something wrong and lost my best friend in the process. Then we didn't talk for four months...I know you wanted to deal with your marriage, but...dude, it felt you forgot about me. Then you come back three days ago declaring you're in love with me." 

"I want to believe it." Adam turned so he was standing in front of Blake and looked him in the eye. "I want to believe it so bad, but I'm also scared."

Blake reached up and pressed a finger to Adam's lips before he could say anything more. "I didn't forget about you, Adam. I couldn't stop thinking about you. And yeah, I should've called. I should've reached out. But I was scared too. Not about being alone, but about being without you. I thought I'd messed it up. That things would never be the same. But...I don't want them to be the same anymore."

"You don't?" Adam whispered behind Blake's finger, feeling the slight callouses on his lips. 

"No." He took his finger away and closed the distance between them. "I want it to be better." 

"Better how?" 

Big hands reached forward and cupped Adam's face, drawing him in for a kiss. Blake was taking his time now, his lips just caressing Adam's. He kissed back, how could he resist those lips? The perfect little bow he'd obsessed about kissing for so long. And this time it felt so right, so complete.

Once they started kissing, they couldn't seem to stop. There was no urgency to it even though twilight was fading around them as the sun sank into the water. Arms wrapped around each other and it was almost dark when Adam finally withdrew with a slight laugh. 

"Is it just me is it getting cold out here?"

"Dunno," Blake smirked lazily. "Feels to me like we're both heating up." 

"Back to my place for a nightcap?" Adam suggested.

He nodded and chuckled a little. "Yeah, well, considering I left my truck back at the studio, if I don't go home with you I'm gonna spend the night on the beach."

"Don't press your luck, Shelton." Adam teased and dropped a light kiss on Blake's nose before completely breaking the embrace. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

 

Blake felt a rush of excitement when he and Adam piled back into the Vette and headed for Adam's place. They'd hung out at his place before, and at the places Blake had rented himself every season of The Voice, but this time it felt different. Probably because of the sense of possibility hanging over the moment. Anything could happen this time, and Blake was pretty sure what he wanted anything to be. 

Though he'd never even kissed another man before Adam, Blake was much more okay with the idea of having sex with another man than he ever would have imagined possible. But this wasn't just 'another man', this was Adam. His best friend, the guy he adored and loved. 

Quite honestly, the idea of touching Adam and having Adam touch him was a very arousing one for Blake. He had gone way too long without a touch other than his own. And the past couple of months he'd been having some very detailed fantasies about what might happen between them, if he came back to LA to find Adam still felt the same way. 

"Blake?" Adam's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he realized the car was no longer moving. "You okay there, buddy?"

He laughed a little, nodding. "Yeah...sorry. I was kind of daydreaming there." 

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Day dreaming about what?" 

Blake saw an oppritunity despite the close quarters of the car and reached across the center console, dragging Adam as close to him as he could get and kissing him deeply. A little noise of surprise came from the other man, but a second later Adam was kissing him back with the same kind of passion. 

His hands were greedy tonight, first framing Adam's beautiful face then slowly trailing down his neck. Blake took time to feel every muscle in the fit shoulders before slowly working their way down his perfect chest. He was at turns in awe of Adam's body and feeling a little shy about showing his own. But he pushed past that and his fingers found the top of his jeans. 

"Blake," Adam sighed, breaking the kiss. "Not here..." 

"Not enough room," He agreed, then started kissing Adam's neck. His skin was so soft beneath his lips and he didn't think he'd ever noticed how graceful the curve of the column of flesh was before this moment. 

Adam giggled and Blake knew his eyes were crinkling in that absolutely adorable way. "Definitely not enough room." He pushed the bigger man away gently. "Seriously...one of us is going to get a gear shift somewhere that will totally end the festivties for the evening."

"Okay, Okay." Blake agreed and pulled back to get out of the car. He cringed at the cold concrete of the garage beneath his bare feet. "Damn...I forgot to put my boots back on."

"You don't need them." Adam shrugged and slipped out of the car himself. "When I was growing up my Mom made everyone leave their shoes at the door."

"That doesn't work very well if you live out in the country." He countered, but followed the other man into the house anyway. "Just don't be getting any kinky ideas, okay? I don't do that foot fetish stuff. Off the table." 

Adam made a face. "Yeah...not a problem." 

Once the door was closed behind them, Blake pounced on Adam again before he could even turn the lights on. He pulled the rock star tight against his body and his mouth found his neck again. His hands were under the white t-shirt, touching bare skin for the first time. The effect it had on Blake was soon very obvious. 

"Been awhile for you?" Adam's eyes widened a little. 

"Well duh..." Blake scoffed lightly. "I wasn't interested in having a fling after Miranda left. I wanted you, not some random bed warmer." 

A little smile touched Adam's lips and he pulled away again. He took Blake's hand and tugged him over towards the couch. Climbing onto the black leather couch, he reached over and flicked a lamp on so they had some light. Blake thought he looked nervous in the soft glow, but he also looked beautiful. Part of him wondered if this was just some dream. 

Blake sat beside him on the couch, immediately wrapping his arm around Adam's waist to draw him close. Adam took the hint and stradled over his lap, a knee resting beside either hip. This time the rock star was the one to initiate the kiss. It was softer now, more tender. 

"Blake..." Adam whispered, his lips trailing down to the hollow of his throat, sending Blake's senses into overdrive. "Is this okay? Really okay?"

"It'd be more okay if you took your shirt off." He gave a charming, boyish grin.

Adam chuckled and kissed him again on the mouth. "Only if you take yours off."

"You first." Blake's hands slid under the white t-shirt again, enjoying the feeling of soft skin covering hard muscle. "I'll even help."

A crooked smile crossed his lover's face as Adam gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Blake's eyes greedily took in every inch of him. He'd seen the pictures in magazines. Hell, he'd even went looking for them these past couple of lonely months. But they didn't do the real thing justice. Or allow him to touch the beautiful body his eyes were feasting on. 

"You're fuckin' perfect." He purred, his hands moving over the smooth skin on display in front of him. 

"Funny...I thought you were the perfect one." Adam replied, bending in to kiss Blake's neck. 

His lips were soft on his skin and the stubble tickled lightly. Blake felt his toes curl with happiness as his hands roamed up and down the other man's back. His cock was rock hard now, straining almost painfully against his jeans and begging for attention. 

Adam's fingers found the buttons to Blake's plaid shirt and started undoing them one by one. After two, he stopped the rock star's hands. "Uh...I don't look like you. I don't want you to be...you know...disappointed or anything."

"Blake..." Adam's face softened. "I think you're a very sexy guy. Don't doubt yourself so much." 

"Yeah, well, compared to this..." He ran his hands over Adam's hard pecs and flat stomach. 

"Stop." His lover's eyes seemed to darken a little. "I love you, Blake. That makes you the most beautiful person in the world to me. And if you doubt how sexy you are, spend a little time online. Women AND men all over the planet would love to sleep with you." 

Blake was about to counter they hadn't seen him naked, but he bit his tongue. Instead he released Adam's hands and watched the long fingers undo rest of the buttons in quick succession, not about to allow another interuption. He felt a little color touch his cheeks when the shirt was opened wide, revealing the start of man boobies and a spare tire, not rock hard muscles. 

Adam didn't seem to notice, though, by the way he ran his hands almost reverently over his skin. It felt so good to be touched by him that Blake was able to start relaxing. The soft lips found his neck again and lingered for a few minutes before moving down over his shoulders. 

"Shit..." Blake groaned. "More.." 

"Damn cowboy..." He chuckled and his fingers found their way down to Blake's jeans. Adam undid the top button and slipped his hand inside. "You're ready for the rodeo." 

Electricity shot up Blake's spine at Adam's touch. His fingers felt amazing stroking the hard length, pulling it free of his pants and boxers. He saw the admiration in the other man's eyes and smirked a little. At least this was one part of his body he didn't have to be self conscious about showing. 

"Fuck..." Adam kept running his hand over the erection before him smoothly. "I didn't know they made them this big in Oklahoma..." 

"If everything is bigger in Texas, it's fucking HUGE in Oklahoma." He grinned in return and pressed his hand against the bulge in the front of Adam's own jeans. "Feels like they make 'em pretty good sized in LA too..." 

He unzipped Adam's fly and slipped his hand inside, withdrawing the rock star's dick so he could get a good look at it. This was something he'd thought about a lot lately, and he was not the least bit disappointed. 

"Tell me if I...you know...don't do it right..." His fingers traced Adam's length almost shyly before curling his fist around it. 

Adam hissed and sped up his hand on Blake's cock. "No..no...that's really good...damn..."

"You too," Blake knew he wouldn't last long, a little shiver passing through his body when the slightly calloused pad of a thumb ran over the sensitive head of his penis. "Shit..." 

Leaning forward, Adam rested his head forehead against Blake's, his breathing coming quicker. "Damn Blake...just like that..." 

For several long moments the only sounds that filled the room were heavy breaths and little sounds of pleasure. Blake closed his eyes, focusing on how perfect the hand on him felt and how perfect Adam felt in his own hand. It reminded him vaguely of one of thing Ying Yanger things, they just fit together into something magical. 

"Ahh..Adam..." His hips snapped upward as pleasure crashed down hard on him from all sides, lifting several times into that wonderful touch. Then he gasped and stiffened, spilling over Adam's hand. 

Adam didn't seem to mind, or even notice, Blake noted when he opened his eyes. He wanted to go limp and enjoy the boneless feeling of release, but he wanted to make sure Adam could enjoy the same sensation first. His blue eyes fixed on the other man's handsome face, smiling a little when he saw the pleasure written there. 

Then the rock star gasped, thrusting into Blake's hand almost greedily. He stroked him faster, moving against the friction. The whimper of release was well worth his efforts, then he felt the wet warmth of Adam's release running down the back of his hand.

"Fuck man..." Adam groaned and dropped his head onto Blake's shoulder, curling into him. 

Blake buried his face into the other man's bare neck, breathing in his scent, hints of sweat, aftershave and something that was just pure Adam Levine. 

"If it's up to me...the evening is just startin'." 

***********

Adam hadn't meant for them to go all the way that night. He hadn't even expected them to go out on a date, let alone find themselves in a tangle on his bed in their underwear. Part of him had gone to the stuido that afternoon not expecting Blake to do anything out of the ordinary. He'd spent all morning stressing whether things could just be the same if he let the love thing drop, afraid his cowboy would let him down and completely break his heart. 

And then, somehow, everything had gone right. First the date, then the walk on the beach that was quickly followed by the encounter on the couch. After they'd cleaned themselves up a bit and had a beer, they'd ended up going back to the bedroom. And now...it looked like the thing he'd dreamed about for almost two years was about to happen. 

Once his shirt came off, Blake seemed to have no problems shedding his pants once they'd made it to the bed. Adam was always a fan of nudity himself, so he had no problems dropping all his clothes at the slightest invitation, a habit he was hoping would eventually rub off on his friend. 

"How do we do this?" Blake finally pulled back, breathless from kissing. "I mean...you haven't done this before either, right?" 

"Never." Adam chuckled nervously. "I made out with a couple guys, did a little touching, but what we did on the couch was more than I've ever done before with another guy...let alone this..." 

"You're beautiful.." He replied and rolled over on top of him, his big body almost pinning Adam to the bed. You wouldn't think that five inches and seventy five pounds would make that much difference, but it certainly did. It was a good feeling, though, having the weight of Blake on him. 

"You keep mentioning that." His cheeks reddened a bit, hands moving down to play with the waistband of the other man's boxers. "Well...one of us has to go first..." 

"Should we flip a coin?" Adam teased a little, though he was honestly just as nervous as Blake about the whole thing. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it, he was just a little worried about if it would hurt, what would it be like. Suddenly he had a feeling he understood how women felt the night they lost their virginity. 

"No." Blake looked into his eyes intensely. "You tell me which you'd prefer...being the ah, giver or the reciever?" 

Adam was touched, knowing that it must all still seem very strange to Blake that he was about to have sex with a man. "Blake..."

"Hey," He quieted Adam with a soft kiss. "I want to do this. I really do. I just want to make sure it's special. You know?" 

"I know." Adam nodded and smiled a little. "Why don't you let me go first? I mean, neither one of us have done this before, it's going to be awkward the first few times. But that doesn't make it less special." 

Blake smiled and kissed Adam again, pulling his underwear off and trailing his lips down his neck and stomach. Adam squirmed as the country singer's warm mouth engulfed his growing erection. 

"Damn..." He moaned, closing his eyes and tangling his fingers in Blake's messy gunmetal colored curls. "Oh Blake..." 

He was fully hard now and more than a little impressed that Blake was doing a pretty great job of giving head for his first time ever doing it. But Adam didn't want the evening to end there, so when he started feeling little shocks of electricity up his spine, he gently pushed Blake away.

"Wasn't I doing it right?" Blake raised an eyebrow. 

"I want us to come together." Adam bent down and kissed him. "Take off your boxers and get on your hands and knees." 

He turned away and went for the lube in the drawer next to the bed. Adam was fine with the idea of being the one penetrated first, but now he wanted to see if Blake was willling to go that far. Maybe it was a way of testing him, because having someone put it up your ass was decidedly more gay than doing the inserting yourself. After all, men put their dicks all sorts of places without giving it much thought. 

Blake was on his hands and knees when Adam turned back to him with the tube of KY in his hand. He admired the sight for a moment, from the broad shoulders to the large erection. He might not have been totally happy with his body, but Adam loved it. 

"I've wanted to do this for so long..." Adam admitted, moving behind him. He bent down and started kissing Blake's back. His free hand moved beneath, stroking the hard length lovingly. "I'll be nice and gentle, okay?"

"Okay," He panted back, pressing into the hand. "Your hands are so good..." 

Adam chuckled and took his hand away, squeezing lube onto his fingers before he started to stroke Blake's tight opening. The other man jumped slightly, obviously surprised at the sensation of being touched there. He kept his fingers gentle and slow, just barely pushing into the ring of muscle. 

"See? Not so bad..." He soothed, bending to kiss Blake's shoulder. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah...keep going." Blake nodded a little, wiggling a little. "It's kinda...nice."

He pushed his fingers inside of the other man very slowly, hearing the little gasp Blake gave. There was no protest, though, so Adam slowly withdrew his fingers before sliding them back in again. Soon he had a steady rhthym going, carefully stretching the muscle as he went. Finally he withdrew his fingers and got to his knees behind Blake. 

"Are you ready?" Adam paused, not wanting to make him do something he wasn't really up for. 

"I'm ready..." Blake fisted the comforter underneath them. "Just...go slow, okay? That thing is a hell of a lot bigger than your fingers." 

"Flattery will get you everywhere." He smirked. 

Adam concentrated on pushing inside of Blake with a painstaking slowness. Beneath him, the country star gave a soft gasp and a grunt. 

"You okay there?" He asked, stilling his hips about half of the way in. 

"Yeah...just told you...it's big." 

He pushed in rest of the way and then paused for a few moments to let Blake adjust to the sensation. Then he pulled back out very slowly. In again slowly. The slowness was maddening when Blake was so hot and tight around his cock, but Adam wanted it to be good for him. 

"Ohhh..." Blake gave a soft moan. "Oh..wow..."

"Better than you thought?" Adam's voice was hopeful, his hips increasing the pace just a little. 

The man beneath him nodded in reply and slowly Adam kept working the pace up. His thrusts were hard, mindful not to hurt Blake, but as they got quicker they were both gasping and moaning now. He couldn't believe they were finally making love...and it was amazing. 

"Blake..." He groaned, reaching around to fist the other man's cock. "Shit...I'm close." 

"Go for it." Blake hissed through clenched teeth. "Keep going...don't stop..." 

Adam closed his eyes and concentrating on using his hand in tune in with his hips. Something low in his belly tensed and he cried out with pleasure. His thrusts got a bit harder now, as those last moments of intense delight before his release came. Then he was losing himself inside of Blake and feeling the hot warmth of Blake's own release a moment later. 

Breathing hard, Adam withdrew and collapsed onto the bed. Blake joined him with a hard thump, covered in sweat and panting, just how he'd always imagined. Only the reality was so much better. 

"You good?" He moved in and kissed Blake's forehead.

"I'm...better than good, actually." Blake chuckled in return, lifting his head to kiss Adam on the lips. "But I think I could use a little nap now."

Adam snuggled into Blake's side and closed his eyes, loving the feel of their skin pressed together. "You and me both, cowboy."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

The next morning Blake woke up with the luxurious feeling of skin against skin. He popped one eye open, saw the short, black hair and the tattoo on the back of the neck and closed it again. A smile of pure elation crossed his face as he tightened his grip on the man tucked against his chest. 

He could hardly believe that after one date he and Adam had went to bed together. Obviously that's what Blake had wanted, but he figured there would have to be a lot more proving going on before they would do anything physically. After all, Adam's luck in the romance department was about as good as Blake's...only some of his ex's had made nasty comments. 

Maybe he was lucky that way. His first wife had just gone back to being a small town school teacher and when Blake became more visiable because of "The Voice" she never came back with any comments. Miranda had wanted out of the marriage and he gave it to her without argument, so in a way he felt a bit entitled for her to not put shit out there about him. He certainly had no plans of doing that to her. Sometimes relationship didn't work out, being a prick about it didn't change anything except to make it worse. 

He felt Adam stir slightly against him and Blake kissed the round tattoo on the back of the rock star's neck, something he'd always wanted to do. "Morning..."

"MMmmm..." The other man grumbled and turned slightly to look over his shoulder at Blake. "Holy shit...it wasn't a dream."

"If you're dreaming about us doing it, would you please dream me down about thirty pounds?" Blake teased back and then turned serious. "That's what I thought at first too. Or that I'd done something stupid." 

Adam turned his arm so they were nose to nose. "Do you think this was something stupid?"

"Hell no!" Blake bent in and kissed him. "I meant, like, I picked up some girl 'cause I let the little head do the big head's thinking for it. Which I would never do in a relationship. All that shit in those papers about me cheating on Miranda was bullshit. But I mean...when you're just waking up to someone in your bed after four months..." 

"Blake," Adam rolled his eyes. "Technically, this is my bed you know." 

Blake kissed his nose. "When I wake up first thing, I don't even know what my name is, let alone where I am. But..I guess I'm trying to say is I love you and I don't want a fling...I want the real thing."

He had hoped after the night before Adam would realize that he wasn't looking for easy sex or a quick flame. Blake wanted a relationship with him. It was a bit scary to realize if it got out it would likely kill his career, but it was worth taking the risk for him. Maybe he'd always have a place in country music, but eventually the big time stardom would fade and he would be alone. But there was still that cautiousness in those amazing hazel eyes. 

"I love you too," Adam whispered back. "I've always wanted the real thing..." 

"Then let's have it." Blake kissed him again, long and lingering.

Adam's hands were moving up Blake's chest, then back down to skim over his sides. It made Blake feel like a teenager again, when a simple touch could hold so much electricity. He didn't think it would be very long before he would be up for a little fun. How lucky for them they didn't need to be at the studio today.

"Can it be this easy? This simple?" Adam wondered aloud. "It just seems like everything fell right into place right away." 

"I'm not complaining." Blake smiled at him and shrugged. "Why does it have to be some big, complicated thing, Adam?" 

Adam's shoulders moved upwards in a gesture mirroring the one that Blake had just made. "It doesn't. I'm just saying...it happened so fast."

Blake felt a quiver of panic in his stomach. "Too fast?"

"Well, no, I don't think so..." 

"You don't think so?" He sighed and shook his head a little. "Adam...I love you. I know I agreed to prove it, and I'll keep proving it. For the rest of my life, if you let me. But you need to start believing that I want you. I want us. I want this. Why can't you just believe it?"

Adam closed his eyes for a moment. "I want to believe." 

"Then stop wanting to...and start doing it." Blake was starting to get annoyed. He realized walking out on him the first time Adam admitted his feelings had been a bad idea on his part, but he'd had a marriage falling apart and the fear of losing his best friend on his shoulders back then. Now he was completely free of those burdens, ready to recieve the love he'd been offered that night and ready to offer twice as much in return.

Adam didn't bother to say anything in response, instead he kissed Blake deeply and pulled him in close. That was much more in line with how Blake wanted to spend the morning. 

***********

When they woke up the second time, it was Adam pressed against Blake's broad, bare back. He didn't have that momentary worry of where he was or who he was with, which he refused to admit he'd felt right along with Blake the first time they had woken up that morning. He did wonder what time it was, and judging by the way the light was coming through the blinds he'd guess it was about noon or even later. 

Oh well. For being a rock star, Adam wasn't normally the sleep until noon type, but he didn't want to move away from the big, warm body he was cuddled against. Blake was snoring a little and it found it sort of charming. It wasn't that much worse than Frankie had been in her older years, and really Blake did remind him of a dog.

He wanted to believe that this was it for both of them and laying there like this, feeling how it right it felt deep down into the very marrow of his bones, he did believe. Adam knew he'd have to work through some insecurities, but Blake had never lied to him before. Even that night he walked out, he never said he wasn't interested or didn't love him, just that he couldn't do it at that point. But everything changed and now they really had a chance to make it.

Adam stretched a little and kissed Blake's bare shoulder, earning a sleepy noise from the other man but no signs of movement. He chuckled and slipped out of bed, heading into the bathroom. When he returned Blake's eyes were open, watching him.

"I'm glad to see the fact we screwed each other senseless in every sense of the word now hasn't given you any hang ups about nudity." The country star drawaled with a slight smirk.

"Oh shut up, cowboy." He chuckled and sat back down on the bed. "I'm starving...aren't you?"

Blake snorted. "I'm always starving."

"I can make eggs...and eggs." Adam bit his lip. "Or we can go out for breakfast."

"You can only cook eggs?" He raised an eyebrow, propping his head up on one elbow. "You better start keeping some stuff in the house that I can cook, then." 

Adam smiled a little, liking the way that sounded so cozy and homey. "Yeah...I could do that." 

"I think we should go out," He stretched and yawned. "Too damn late really for eggs. It's gotta be well past noon. Not that it wasn't the best damn sleep in I've had in a long time." He winked at Adam. 

"There's a deli not too far from here. They have a little of everything." 

"Works for me." Blake stood up and kissed Adam. "I call the shower first..." 

Adam rolled his eyes and let him take it. As he waited for the shower to free up, he did some yoga on the mat on the balcony outside the master bedroom. When Blake returned, his hair was slicked down from water and Adam had to admit he liked the sight. 

"Sexy," He chuckled. "Too bad I'm too hungry for any more fun."

"You're walking a bit funny too." Blake teased him affecionately. "I tried to be gentle, but you know..."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the biggest gun in town." Adam shot back. "And you aren't exactly walking normal either, buddy."

He walked in the bathroom and closed the bathroom door behind him, content to let Blake chew on that for a bit. His shower was fast, and he walked out sans towel, giving his friend a nice view while he went to the closet and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ready to rock?" He asked Blake, who was struggling with his hair. 

"Um...yeah." The older man glanced into the mirror over the dressing. "Can never do my damn hair right..."

"Gimme." Adam took the brush from Blake and stood on tip toe to attempt to soothe the tangle of thick, greying chocolate hair into something at least halfway decent looking. "There."

Blake looked at him and chuckled, then glanced in the mirror. "Much better. Let's go." 

As they walked out of the house, Adam was surprised when Blake reached out and took his hand. He glanced over at the other man as his hand closed over the big one holding his own. 

"You realize if we do this in public..." He began slowly. 

"We'll be careful." Blake reassured him. "No one's said anything so far. The bromance, remember?"

Adam nodded. "But we'll have to be careful anyway. I'm not sure....I don't want you to lose your career, Blake. No one's going to care if I'm with another man. A lot of people think I'm gay or have figured out I'm bi already. But you..." 

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He shrugged in return. "Right now...I just want to be glad I'm with you. Finally, really with you. Let's just focus on that." 

They stopped at the driver's side door to the corvette and Adam laughed a little. "Going to help me drive?"

"Not this little matchbox car. Though I admit, it is pretty hot." Blake bent down and kissed him softly. "But so are you..." 

Laughing, Adam slipped behind the Vette's wheel. Suddenly it seemed like everything was going to be okay. They were going to make it and nothing could stop them now. Maybe, just maybe, the hardest part was over and it could only go up from this day foward into their future together. It sure seemed like that when Blake got into the passenger seat and flashed him that brilliant smile, complete with a dimple on each side. 

However much Adam wasn't thinking about the possibility anything could go wrong, there is an old saying his mother was fond of...men plan, God laughs. Today it didn't even cross his mind, but soon enough it would.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

 

The next three weeks were the best Blake had experienced in almost a year. Whenever they weren't working for things on The Voice or were off doing things for their own careers, he and Adam were together. There was a lot of sex, like in any new relationship, but they also had a lot of quiet moments just enjoying the fact it was okay to express what they both had been hiding for some time. 

That morning they were comfortably sprawled in a tangle of arms and legs on Adam's bed. The bed in Blake's rented house had seen no sleep or really anything else in it so far, both of them preferring to be together as much as possible. It had been scary to each to think they'd lost their best friend and the person they loved so much. That was definitely worth a lot of quality time together, and that went for double in Blake's book. 

"I can't believe we both have a whole day off..." He mused, tracing the lines of Adam's tattoos lightly with his finger. 

"I think that should qualify as a miracle." Adam chuckled and shifted slightly, resting his head against Blake's broad shoulder. "I think we should stay in bed all day."

Blake smiled a little, reclining against the pillows with a content sigh. "Well it is Sunday...day of rest..."

"Well, not too much rest." Adam lifted his head, his dark eyes full of impish delight. 

"Damn, you rock stars are insaitiable..." He rolled his eyes with a mock groan. "I hope you love me for more than just my amazing manhood."

"Of course I do," The rock star yawned in return. "But that is one of my favorite parts of your body."

"One of?" Blake raised an eyebrow. "What are the others?" 

Adam turned and changed his position so he was hovering over Blake. The impish gleam in his dark eyes was starting to turn lustful and Blake felt a tingle go down his spine. Usually there was a lot of sex at the start of any new relationship, but the amount they were having was borderlining on ridiculous. Not that he was complaining. At all.

"Well, your eyes have to be on the list. You have amazingly beautiful eyes." He licked his lips, studying Blake's face. "And your lips...because they're soft and-"

Blake's phone cut off Adam's praise session and he was inclined to ignore it. Then thirty seconds later, Adam's phone went off too. That was strange enough to get him to grab his own phone, which was still ringing.

"'Lo?" He tried not to sound too sleepy to the caller on the other line. 

Carson Daly's voice was on the other end of the line. "Listen, Blake...it's out, man. About you and Adam, I mean. I got some advanced copies of this week's tabloids for a bit on Last Call...they've got pictures and everything." 

Blake swallowed hard, feeling a bit dizzy with the news. It wasn't that he ashamed to be in love with Adam, but being in country music made it more difficult to be open that he was in a relationship with another man. Especially not when he'd been married twice before to women...one of them being a huge country star in her own right. 

"Blake? Are you there?" Carson's voice was heavy with concern. "Listen, this isn't going to change anything with the show. I am going to absolutely make sure of that. Hell, we hyped the bromance from the beginning, we're not going to turn our backs on you guys now." 

"Thanks," He managed to get a word out, and somehow that seemed to loosen his jaw enough to talk. "It's only really been a thing for about a month now...I'm kind of surprised word got out so fast. Fucking paparazzi and their fucking telefotos." 

"Yeah. But I'm glad you guys finally hooked up. I mean, I knew there was some major chemistry going on from the beginning. Anyone who couldn't see it was blind." He chuckled a little. "Though if it's only been a month, it must've taken you two the longest of everyone to figure it out." 

Blake closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. "Well, I was married. As much as the National Enquirer wants to believe I'm a cheater, I'm not. And...I'm glad we did too. Even if we're about to get a shitstorm." 

"I know. But don't forget you have friends that will back you up. Both you and Adam." 

"Thanks," He had to work to sound grateful. "I'll talk to you later, okay? I'd prefer to tell Adam myself." 

When Blake hung up the phone, Adam was already done talking and scrolling on his smart phone, the same look of worry on his face. 

"You don't have to tell me anything," He sighed and glanced up at Blake. "That was Jesse, he saw something on twitter and wanted to give me a heads up. A picture popped up yesterday, I guess, last night, or something like that. Within the last twenty-four hours." 

Blake nodded slowly. "Well, I'm glad the picture got leaked. Maybe the rag mags won't make as much money off the stories Carson said they have prepared for this week. Bastards. They can't just let people's lives be decent!" 

Adam set down his phone and stared out into the space, his expression sad. "Been more than decent...it's been amazing." 

"It has been." He looked over at his boyfriend, not liking the grief etched into his beautiful face. It was going to be a rough few months and they would likely lose some fans and viewers over it, but hopefully more people would stick behind them. Though his career in country music was probably about over now. 

Blake leaned back against the headboard and sighed heavily. "We knew this was going to happen eventually. It's hard to hide something like this for too long with us both being single now and everyone looking. The show'll stick by us, Carson said he'd make sure of it."

"And your career?" Adam asked him in a quiet voice. "It didn't make a difference when it came out about Mick Jagger and David Bowie, but that's rock music. It's not the same with country...and people are already pissed about you and Miranda getting divorced..." 

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He shrugged. "Can't put the cat back in the bag, Adam. It's out and we gotta deal with it." 

The other man nodded a little and looked down at the comforter pooled around their waists, picking at some invisible lint balls. "Could always say it was a fling, a mistake. Then you could maybe redeem your image. Or you could deny it." 

"They've got pictures, Adam." Blake felt anger well up inside of him. "And is that what you really want? To pretend this past month didn't happen? Or the three years of wanting each other before that? Laugh it off and deny everything?"

"No, that's not what I want." Adam sounded equally aggravated. "But what are we supposed to do, Blake? I know how much you love what you do. And don't tell me you aren't thinking about your career..." 

He stood up and reached for his jeans. "Of course I'm thinking about my career. But I already thought of that a month ago, before we hooked up. I knew the risks coming into it." 

It wasn't his career at all Blake was thinking about, it was the hurt rising up in him. He couldn't believe that Adam's reaction was to try to deny it. Or chalk it up as a fling. Did that mean he wanted to end the relationship? It wouldn't harm Adam's career, so why was he so willing to walk out of the door? 

"I was willing to risk everything." He turned back to Adam, the hurt very obvious in his eyes. "And now you want to just call it a mistake."

"Blake.." Adam paled. "I wasn't saying I thought it was a mistake...but I thought...your career..."

"FUCK my career." Blake snapped in return. "Who gives a shit if you're on the top of the charts if you're going to bed every night alone. Careers come and go, love is supposed to last forever." 

Adam got off the bed too and went to Blake, his eyes pleading. "I didn't say it wouldn't. Blake..."

"No.." Blake pulled away from Adam and shook his head. "You might not have said it, but when your first thought is to just cut and run...that hurts, Adam." 

"Blake..." He shook his head. "I just...I don't want to be selfish. I want to do what's right for you."

"And you think us breakin' up is what's right for me?" A lump formed in Blake's throat, feeling grief weight down heavily on him. He reached for his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Then he grabbed his boots and crammed them onto his feet, hands shaking slightly.

"Where are you going?" Adam was already dressing hurriedly. 

"I need some air." 

Once his boots were on his feet he grabbed his wallet and car keys off the dresser. He felt like screaming, crying, putting his fist through the wall, but he did none of those things. None of that would change things.

"Don't go," A small voice pleaded from behind him. 

Blake turned and looked at his partner, at the man he loved. There was as much pain and grief written on his face as he felt inside of himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed to choke up inside of him again. 

"I didn't want to make you choose between being with me or your career." Adam continued, crossing the room until they were standing only inches apart. 

This time Blake didn't move away. He reached up and ran his hand softly over Adam's cheek. A single tear fell and he brushed it away tenderly with his thumb. The last thing he'd ever want to do was hurt Adam. And he had to believe that Adam felt the same way about him. But the words spoken couldn't quite leave his mind. 

"I already made that choice. I don't know how you can't see that." 

And with that, Blake turned around and walked out of the bedroom. He paused a moment at the front door, then decided he really did need to clear his head. So he left the house he was starting to think of as home and hopped in his pick up, heading for the hills. Nothing healed your soul like God's country.

 

**************

Adam couldn't believe Blake had just left like that. He tried to muster up some outrage about how he'd been wronged, but each time he came to the fact he'd said exactly the worst thing possibility. It didn't matter if he was trying not to be selfish or force Blake into a relationship, he had said absolutely the wrong thing and it was very hard for him to feel sorry for himself with that fact so clear in his mind. 

He had fucked up with a capital F and he wondered why he'd done that. Adam could be very impulsive and it had ran more than a few relationships into the ground over the years. Some might even say he suffered from some self destructive tendencies.

He'd only been in a relationship with Blake for a month, but he already knew he was more in love than he'd ever been before. As wonderful as it was, it scared him too. If Blake left him, he wouldn't be able to survive. And then somehow he'd made that happen anyway. 

Adam miserably slumped down on the couch and put his head in his hands. He wanted Blake to come back so he could explain that he was afraid that if he forced Blake into revealing their relationship so soon, he would get resentful and they would ultimately fail. Every relationship he'd been in had failed. Technically the same could be said for Blake, but he knew that it was a different kind of failure. 

Even more so, he was afraid if he told Blake he wanted to write it in the sky that they were in love and happy together, he would just up and run. He didn't doubt that Blake loved him, but Adam knew that he'd been raised in a different place where the sort of relationship they had was looked down upon. Not to mention country music didn't have any openly gay singers, let alone a man who'd been married to two women and now was in a relationship with his very male best friend. 

Blake's music meant so much to him and it was hard for Adam to believe someone...not just Blake, but anyone in the whole world...could love him more than what they seemed to be put on this earth for. Despite the Grammys, the hit songs, the model girlfriends, the millions of dollars, the sex status there was still a lot of insecurity in Adam. But for all his independence, he also wanted to be loved so intensely it sometimes made him a bit neurotic and clingy in relationships. 

Adam rested his forehead on his knees and took a deep, shuddering breath. He had been the one to demand that Blake prove his intentions, and maybe he'd thrown it back into his face when his first suggestion was to deny the relationship or write it off as a mistake. Granted, he meant that for the media, but he just as well had said it was all together. Blake was no doubt scared about his career and how his life would change, and Adam had just basically told him it was all for naught. 

Now he did start crying silently, his shoulders shaking lightly. What if Blake didn't come back? What if he'd lost the best thing in his life? And now, it was going to come out no matter what either of them did. If they weren't together, they might have lost everything else that mattered...and the thing that mattered most of all. 

Adam wasn't sure how long he had cried, but at some point he ended up stretched out on the couch. Soon sleep overtook him. He wasn't sure how long he dozed, but when he woke up Blake was sitting on the floor next to the couch.

"Blake?" He whispered, not sure whether to be elated or terrified. Would he say he was leaving for good? Had he come back? Or could it even be a dream?

"You look like hell." Blake pointed out and leaned into press a kiss against his forehead.

Adam couldn't help but smile weakly at that. "Do I?"

"You've been crying. Your eyes are all red and puffy." His fingers touched lightly under Adam's eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have stormed out like that." 

That was all Adam needed to hear. He reached over and wrapped his arms around Blake's neck tightly, pulling him as close as he could get. The other man embraced him in return. And for a long while, they just sat there holding each other. 

Finally Blake had to move because he was getting a cramp in his neck. As he pulled back and resettled himself on the couch next to Adam, the rock star took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"I should explain..." He began slowly. "I don't think us getting together is a mistake. If I put everything I ever did in order of how much a mistake it had been...this would be at the top of the list as the least mistake I've ever made." 

Blake frowned slightly, obviously thinking it over, so Adam quickly explained. "It wasn't a mistake. It's the best decision I ever made, being with you."

"Oh," The country singer gave a slight, sheepish smile. "Keep in mind, I'm a dumb hillbilly. Don't get too metaphorical on me." 

"You don't have a dumb bone in your body," Adam countered, then continued. "And I don't want you to say it was a mistake or a fling...because it's neither of those things for me."

"Then why did you say that's what I should say? That was like the first thing out of your mouth. Deny it. Call it a mistake or a fling if they have pictures to prove it."

Adam took a deep breath. "Because I don't..I'm afraid of forcing this on you. And I didn't want you to make that choice between-" 

"But I told you I already did." Blake cut him off. 

"Yes," He agreed. "And I think I've known what that choice was, it just scared me. To think someone could love me so much to give up everything that was important to them." 

Blake shrugged slightly and took Adam's hand in both of his, looking down at it thoughtfully. "I don't know how else to love. Either you're in or you're out. I can't do it by halves." 

"I've never had that before. Sometimes it's hard to believe I deserve it." Adam sighed and lowered his eyes to their joined hands too, his fingers wrapping around Blake's. "I don't want to be selfish."

"But what do you want?" Blake lifted his eyes and peered at Adam so intensely he had to bring his gaze up to those beautiful blue eyes after a few moments so he didn't feel like lasers were boring into him. Though perhaps they were, right into his soul, wanting to hear his darkest desires.

"I want to love you." Adam admitted softly. "I want to be with you until we're two old wrinkled bastards on the porch in rocking chairs complaining about disrespectful kids. And I don't want to have to hide how I feel about you. I went through three years of that...and it's terrible to have to question if every hug, every kiss, every word might release the genie from the bottle..." 

Blake looked at him a long time, then leaned in and kissed his lips softly. It was quite different from the first time they kissed, this time it was so tender it brought tears to Adam's already red eyes and threatened to break his heart. How could he have ever doubted that Blake would choose them over anything else?

"Okay, we want the same things then." Blake smiled a little when he finally pulled back. "But I was talking about, what do you want to do about it coming out? And for real, not what you think you should say because you're afraid of scaring me off..."

Adam blinked, slightly surprised that Blake had picked up on that. "Was it that obvious?"

"After I took some time to think about it, yeah, it was." He shrugged. "I can't say I wouldn't worry about the same thing, if it was switched. I know you probably think because I'm from Oklahoma and in country music and a redneck, that being with you is something unnatural I have to get used to bit by bit." 

He turned those intense blue eyes onto him again, though they'd softened some now that things were going better. "But it's not, Adam. Being with you is as natural as breathing to me. I don't care if you're a guy...you're MY guy and I love you." 

"I think...we should come out with it. Make some sort of statement." Adam thought a moment. "Tomorrow morning, maybe? Just think of the ratings it'll bring the show, doing it on the morning of an episode." 

Blake nodded slowly. "We don't even need it to be a formal statement, you know. Carson said he'd make sure the show stands behind us. You'll be fine, rock stars are expected to do shocking things, and quietly honestly a lot of people have always questioned whether you're gay or not..." 

"Because I sing like a girl?" Adam smirked slightly, then shrugged. "I consider myself bisexual. Always have, always will. I just happened to find my soulmate in another man." 

"Me too. Though I don't think the country music folks are going to give two fucks whether I have a soulmate or not. Because country singers have an image too. But they aren't going to give two shits whether they read it in a rag mag or see a tweet or a press conference." 

Adam nodded slowly. "I'm sorry if this fucks up your career, Blake." 

"Yeah, well, I knew it would slow down eventually." He shrugged. "And I'm not exactly hangin' up my guitar yet. If Nashville won't have me, I'll figure out my own way to keep making music. It's part of me. But you're part of me too now. And as great as fame is, these last four months have reminded me that it doesn't do a damn thing if you're alone with no one to share the perks with, you know?"

"I do know," Adam smiled a little and put his arm around Blake. "So what were you thinking?"

"Go wash your face and get your laptop..." Blake had a slight impish look in his eyes. "There might be a picture circulating, but we have rights to make the actual announcement ourselves, don't you think? Teach those fuckers to try to make a story off of us." 

He couldn't help but laugh a little. "You're sure you don't want to just let our PR people release a short, tasteful statement?"

Blake fixed him with a mock disgusted look. "Adam, when have I ever done anything tasteful in my whole damn life?" 

Laughing, Adam hopped off the couch and went to grab the computer. As he climbed up the steps, he felt light and free. Maybe it was worth a few tears if it lead to something even better once they were dried.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

 

"I'm Blake Shelton..."

"And I'm Adam Levine..." 

They were doing this completely off the cuff. No script, no cameraman but the webcam eye of Adam's laptop. And maybe it was better this way, because this was one of the most personal announcements they would make in their entire lives. 

"So, ya'll might have heard about a picture going around the internet of us." Blake looked at Adam, a slight smile crossing his face before he looked back into the webcam. "And Adam and I are here to tell you that it's completely true."

Across the couch, Blake took Adam's hand and looked at the other man, giving him a chance to talk. 

"Blake and I have never hid the fact we felt affection for each other, but it's always been behind a banner of bromance. But we've graduated to just plain romance now." Adam looked at Blake a sec, biting his lip. "I think it's very important for everyone to know, even though we became attracted to each other shortly after we met, nothing went on until after Blake was divorced." 

"And now, we just want everyone to know, yes, we're together." Blake squeezed Adam's hand. "We're in love. I know it might be hard for some of you to understand that, and ya'll are entitled to your opinions. But we're in love and we're not going to hide the relationship any longer." 

"So we hope our fans will support us." Adam finished, trying to find the right words. "But if they feel they can't, then at least respect our right to be happy and with the person we love." 

Blake smiled and turned to Adam. "I think that's it. I can't think of a better way to put it." 

He hugged Adam, feeling a sudden surge of relief that it was over. "Can you edit it to end right after what you said?"

"Oh yeah," Adam picked up the computer and tapped away.

He was much better at that sort of thing than Blake, so the country singer was content to go to the kitchen and get them each a beer. It was a risky move, putting it all out there like that, but if it was going to come out anyway, they deserved to do it their way. And he did love the idea of stealing the big scoop away from the tabloids. 

When he came back into the room, Adam was staring at the computer. His dark eyes found Blake's over the top of the laptop's screen and held them for a few seconds. 

"Are you ready to do this? Once I hit this key...we can't take this back, Blake." 

"I am completely ready." Blake sat down next to Adam and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "I want to get this over with...and go back to just..being with you. Plus this is our announcement...not the fucking tabloids."

Adam nodded a little and smiled. "Alright." He clicked on the mouse a couple of times and set the laptop back on the coffee table. "There. It's done. We're out."

"Thank God," Blake handed the other man the other can of beer. "A toast?" 

"To?" Adam held up his can. 

"Us, you dummy," Blake shook his head a little, then raised his beer can. "To us...for good." 

"For good?" He raised an eyebrow in return, and it made Blake laugh out loud.

"Yeah...for good." The country singer paused a moment, feeling a sort of odd sensation of vulnerability swim up inside of him. "I mean...this is it. I want to be with you. And only you. For good. Til' we're both old men pushing ninety and ready to be worm food." 

"I don't think worms are into pickled redneck," Adam teased, then he clinked his beer can against Blake's. "And you better live to be nearly ninety. I'm going to hold you to that."

Blake chuckled and pulled Adam in close. "And if I don't, what exactly are you going to do, hmm?" 

"I don't even want to think about that," He wrapped his arms around Blake and burrowed his head into his shoulder. "I love you. I haven't loved anyone like this before, and no one's loved me enough to give up everything to be with me." 

"We don't know that everything is going to fall apart." Blake kissed the top of Adam's head. "But even if it did, if I still have you, it's going to be alright. This is the thing that matters most in life." 

*********

Once the video went up, they'd agreed to turn off their phones and not check messages until the next morning. They deserved that much, for half a day of privacy before everyone in the world was going to weigh in with their opinion. Not just their family and friends, who for the most part didn't know about their relationship, but everyone who heard the story. There was little doubt what story people would be hearing over their Monday morning coffee. 

Their own phones didn't go back until on after they'd had a chance to have coffee and a decent breakfast. They were together and they were resolved to stay together no matter how hard it got, but there was a kind of nervous anticipation in the air. Adam was having a lot of trouble sitting still and he was thankful that Blake seemed to understand his need to flit around. 

Once the phones were on, it took less than five minutes for the ringing to start. Adam didn't get a chance to speak more than three sentences in a row to Blake again until it was time to leave for the studio. Everyone wanted to get their words in. His mother wanted him to know she would always love him anyway, his brother was surprised but oddly amused, Jesse had known all along without being told, and his manager gave him a twenty minute lecture about why they had a press manager and why it was important to run everything by him first. 

"Fuck, my ear is numb." Adam shook his head a little as they headed out to his Porsche. They had no reason not to drive in to the studio together now. 

"You're tellin' me." Blake sighed, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. 

"Some bad calls?" He reached over and put his hand on Blake's knee once they were going down the street, giving it a supportive squeeze. 

"Well, my record label is threatening to drop me." The country singer frowned. "I'll give my lawyer a call tomorrow morning and see what he can do about it. I don't care if they want to produce another of my albums, but we had a contract and they're not getting out of it. Not for this reason. It's bullshit."

"I'm sorry," Adam couldn't seem to come up with adequete words for what he was feeling. 

"Don't," He took the hand off of his knee and pressed his lips to it. "The only thing I'm sorry for is that some people are such ignorant assholes." 

Adam gave Blake a little smile and reached up to stroke the side of his scruffy face at the stop light. "It's going to be okay, one way or another. I might have an idea already...for you to keep making music, even if your label drops you." 

"Tell me about it after the show." Blake smiled a little as they pulled into the studio parking lot. "I think it's going to be a bit crazy on set today."

Blake turned out to be right and Adam barely had a chance to get fidgety with all the running around they were doing getting ready for another live show. He loved that about being on The Voice, it was a non stop rush the days of the shows. He loved being busy, he loved bouncing around from thing to thing, making sure his artists were ready, making sure he was ready, chatting with the other coaches and Carson and the crew. 

The only change from the normal chaos was a meeting with the producers where they agreed with Carson's assurances the day before, that the show would stand behind Blake and Adam. It was a bit contradictory to the values of a couple of the producers, but they had cashed in quite a bit on the bromance. So, as long as the boys didn't do anything to get them in trouble with the FCC, they would be part of the show as long as they wanted. 

"Well, fuck Mark, my damn mouth is probably a bigger threat to that whole FCC thing." Blake drawled, much to everyone's amusement. 

And then everything was back to organized chaos. Before Adam knew it he was taking his chair at the end of the row. He gave Blake a big hug when the judges were introduced and pecked him on the cheek, earning a truly wild, huge cheer from the crowd. And then it was business as usual. 

Their relationship and the photograph wasn't mentioned during the next two hours. They just did their thing like nothing had changed at all and that felt good. Of course, Adam and Blake still jabbed at each other and bickered like an old married couple. That would never change. And it was so nice to know that at the end of the day he would be taking the smart mouthed cowboy home with him. 

After the show and the hubub that always followed, Blake and Adam were finally alone again. They got into the car and glanced at each other, then cracked up laughing. It was just like the old days, talking about their performances, what they could do to help their artists. The only difference was Blake's hand on his knee and the fact they were heading back to his house together. 

Once they were there, Adam couldn't hold it back any longer. "So, I had a radical idea. I had to make a couple of phone calls, but everyone agreed it would work." 

"Work for what?" Blake stretched out on the couch. 

"You making music." He replied in a 'duh' tone of voice. "So you can keep making music no matter what...and making the music you love." 

"Alright, let's hear it."

Adam was obviously excited, gesturing with his hands and barely sitting still in his seat. "I'm surprised we didn't think of it right away. I mean, my label isn't big, but we could help...." 

"You want to sign me?" Blake's eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

"No. It's going to get even better." Adam was ready to start bouncing. "Most song and album sales are digital, right? So why not, like, release your music that way? I know a lot of your fans are going to support you, Blake. So my label will make sure you get the studio time and the people to work on your music. Then you can release it yourself...be completely in control of it. You'll be revolutionary."

Blake looked at him for a good long time, then he started laughing again, that big, booming laugh Adam loved so much. "You know. I think that just might work...you're a fucking genius, Adam." 

"Not the first time I heard it." He laughed and passed Blake a bottle of beer. "But it also doesn't hurt that love moves you to do great things."

Blake raised his bottle of beer. "I'll drink to that!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

 

Even in the face of earth shattering announcements, the type that made everyone rethink everything they knew about you, life had a way of moving on. It did for Blake and Adam, who were soon caught up in the intense cycle of the final four weeks on the current season of The Voice, not to mention their own music careers. But Blake ended up staying at Adam's house full time, so the evenings, even when they didn't get free until ten o' clock at night or midnight, were for them to be together. Even though they'd been friends for so long, they were getting to know each other as lovers and partners, and it was an exciting journey for them both. 

Being without a label had brought about one change in Blake he was glad to see...he was starting to write more of his own music. In the time they had off, he could he found sitting in Adam's back yard, soaking up the warmth and the view of the mountains as he strummed at his guitar and wrote into a notebook. It was beautiful in early summer and he found himself starting to really like the hills around Los Angeles. He and Adam took long hikes on the weekends, stopping to eat at the scenic points. When he'd first gotten involved with The Voice, Blake had hated LA. But now he was starting to feel pretty at home there. 

In some ways it seemed like the next month passed over night, and in other ways it seemed to take forever. Either way, they were getting ready to leave for the studio the morning of the final performance show of the season when the question of where they went from there first came up. 

"I can't believe the season is over already," Adam shook his head a little, watching out the kitchen window as he sipped on his coffee. 

Blake got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around Adam's waist, his chin resting on the other man's shoulder. "Seems like it's been forever to me. Or maybe because so much has change. I mean, in ten weeks...everything's changed." 

"For the better?" He turned his head towards Blake's nuzzling his cheek against his. 

"The best," Blake reassured him, nuzzling him back. His lips grazed the other man's neck and he sighed contently, breathing in the scent of his lover. The best scent in the world to him. Everything was the best when it was with Adam, even when they were fighting. And that told him all he needed to know about their future together. 

"Blake...what now?" Adam asked, not completely submitting to the seduction Blake was attempting to perform on him, which was a bit frusterating.

"Well, I'm tryin' to get you into bed, if you can't tell..." 

Adam chuckled and set down his coffee cup. Then he turned to Blake and kissed him passionately on the mouth. Blake was only too eager to pull him into a tight embrace, kissing the other man until they were both breathless. He could feel himself starting to respond and Adam wasn't far behind judging by the bulge starting to poke him in the thigh. Gently he steered his rock star towards the bedroom, totally bent on enjoying him before they had to compete with each other on the show. 

"But I mean, after tomorrow, Wednesday...really...considering how smashed we always manage to get after the finale parties..." Adam began as they tumbled onto the bed together. "What then?" 

Blake was already starting to feel the benefit of a little blood loss to the brain, but he could also tell this question was bothering Adam. "Well, I don't know. Why does anything have to happen? We're happy...we can finally be out in the open. Your band is going to start working on a new album, I've been writing songs for the first time in a long time....it seems like everything is going good."

"But where are you going to be?" Adam asked him, nuzzling his neck in a way that was deliciously distracting. 

Oh that's what he was asking about, and it was actually a good question. Blake had no idea where he was going to go, though he knew he didn't have a hankering to leave Adam's side. He still had his ranch in Oklahoma and he missed being there, but at some point he'd have to decide where he belonged, and those roads kept leading back to Adam. 

"I wouldn't mind going back to Oklahoma for awhile...recharge a bit after all we've been through...but after that..." Blake considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "I want to be with you." 

He claimed Adam's mouth again, kissing the other man deeply and working his hands under his shirt. Adam's skin was warm and smooth, the muscles beneath it hard and lean. He was a work of art and Blake felt really, really lucky that he was with someone so amazing. His boyfriend didn't seem to mind his body, but Blake knew that he was a bit soft around the middle. Though in recent weeks he had started to slim down again. 

Blake rolled over onto Adam, pinning him beneath him and pulling the distracting shirt off of the rock adonis before him. His mouth wandered the surprisingly strong shoulders and graceful neck, delighting in the little sounds the man beneath him was making.

"Blake..." Adam finally pushed him back lightly. "I gotta say something..." 

"It can't wait an hour?" Blake groaned, rubbing his hard on against Adam's thigh, hoping to make the other man forget about whatever he was thinking about that didn't involve sex at the moment. 

"No," He shivered a little, but reached up to stop Blake's movements. "Move in." 

"I was kind of angling towards that," Blake's hands went to the waistband of Adam's jeans, earning a laugh from the other man, who batted his hands away.

"No, you big idiot! Move in with me." 

That got Blake to stop his pursuit of sex for a moment. "You mean like, live here full time?" 

"Well, not full time here in LA, but with me full time, yeah." Adam nodded, looking apprehensive. "I mean, we could go back to Tishimingo as much as you want, whenever the schedules allow. And when I'm on tour, if you're not with me, you can be there too...but yeah...you know...where you go, I will go." 

"...where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Blake finished the verse from the book of Ruth for him. "Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried."

Adam smiled and stroked Blake's cheek softly. "Yeah...that's exactly what I had in mind." 

"I can't think of anything I want more," Blake said sincerely, kissing the other man deeply. 

 

******

 

Wednesday morning, as predicted, Adam woke up with a pretty serious hangover. This was quickly becoming a 'Voice' finale tradition for him and basically every adult involved with the show even in the most marginal way. After the finale show came the official after party, then they would usually have another unoffical party, and if they could still speak in complete sentences, he and Blake would go back to Adam's to finish drinking themselves into obliteration. 

This was the first time, however, he'd woken up naked with Blake snoring away in his ear. The other man's heavy arm and leg pinned him down, though with the way Adam felt he wasn't in any hurry to get up. And the snoring was almost soothing, lulling him back to sleep after a few minutes. Or maybe it was the hang over. Either way, the second time Adam opened his eyes it was well into afternoon and Blake was sitting on the side of the bed, head in his hands.

"You okay there, Big Country?" He rolled onto his side to address the other man's broad, bare back. 

"Yeah," Blake groaned. "What the fuck did we do last night? I never get hang over headaches like this..."

"Carson played bartender. He thought it would be hilarious to start mixing random shit together." Adam joined Blake on the edge of the bed, rubbing his back supportively. "I don't feel quite as bad because I threw up after the third creation. You, on the other hand, must have a stomach of steel." 

Blake rubbed his head and lifted it to look at Adam. "I'm kinda wishing I didn't right about now. But since you're obviously not feeling like you liquified your brain last night, you can make the coffee." 

Adam rolled his eyes, but pressed a kiss to Blake's cheek. "Try taking a shower, then come downstairs. I have something for you." 

"Really?" He gave a little smile. "Strange, I have something for you too."

"That's exactly what you said last night," Adam laughed and shook his head. "But you feel asleep about five seconds later, so I never got to find out what it was." 

Adam had enough sense to scramble off the bed and be moving away from Blake when he said that, but the pillow just narrowly missed his head. He was laughing, though, enjoying that he could still fuck with Blake and the fact they were in a relationship now made it all the better. He was whistling to himself when he went downstairs and started the coffee. 

It took almost a half hour for Blake to show himself, but he seemed much more human by then. He had even dressed and run a comb through his hair. Adam greeted him by pressing a cup of coffee into his hands and a kiss to his forehead.

"Feeling better?"

"Mostly, yeah." He nodded and sipped on the coffee. "Mmmm, you do make good coffee. You are now the offical house coffee maker."

"No," Adam pointed to the machine sitting on the counter. "The Keruig is the official house coffee maker. And we'll get one for the ranch too. Caffiene is essential to life."

Blake laughed a little. "Well, I'm glad we've got our priorites straight. So does that mean we're good to head to Tishimingo this weekend?" 

"Oh yeah," He nodded. "Three weeks of fishing, hunting, four wheelers, beer and tornadoes. You know, I'm going to be a big wimp about the tornado thing at first. We don't get those that often here." 

"There's a great storm shelter at the ranch...we'll ride out a few warnings and then you'll be a pro." Blake smiled and settled in at the table with his coffee, watching Adam with those beautiful blue eyes of his, looking rather pleased with himself. "So...you wanna see what I have for you?"

"In the kitchen, Blake?" Adam raised an eyebrow teasingly. "I don't know, there's all sorts of sharp, pokey things and hot surfaces, we might end up in the emergency room with a lot of explaining to do." 

"Smart ass." He rolled his eyes and shook his head a little. "Believe it or not, not everything out of my mouth is about sex. Even if you do make it hard for it not to be." 

Adam took something out of the drawer and joined Blake at the table, setting down a small, flat box. "Can I go first?" He realized that if he was a dog, his tail would be wagging right about now, but he wanted to make Blake happy. Sliding the box across the table in front of the country singer, he smiled warmly. "Open it." 

Blake opened the box and withdrew a wooden keychain carved into the shape of a deer with a brand new key on it. "Did you steal an Oprah's idea?" 

Adam laughed and shook his head. "No, dummy, it's to the house. Because this is your home too now. No one else has a key except my mother. Until now." He cleared his throat lightly. "And there's ah, something else under the tissue paper." 

He blushed and looked down, not wanting to see Blake's reaction when he found the necklace he'd hidden in the bottom of the box. Adam hadn't been sure what his boyfriend would think of a ring so soon, so he put the silver band on a necklace, along with a charm of a little silver accoustic guitar. Engraved on the inside of the ring were two words: "This Love". One of Adam's songs, but one that meant a lot to their relationship. They'd been attracted to each other from their first meeting, but the first time there had been true electricity had been when Blake got up on "The Voice" staged and performed Adam's song. 

Blake wasn't saying anything now, though the necklace was in his hands. Adam felt his cheeks burn and he looked up, explaining it didn't have to mean anything more than a token to show they were committed, part of each other. Only he didn't get the chance because Blake's lips were on his, hard and passionate. He wrapped his arms around the other man's neck and savored the kisses, feeling giddy and light. 

"I don't know if you're proposin' or what..." Blake finally spoke, slightly breathless from the kissing. "But my answer is yes. I want this to be a forever type of thing, Adam. I can't have it any other way...if I do the whole love and lose thing again, with you this time, it's going to be the end of me. In fact..." 

He took a box out of his pocket and held it out to Adam. The rock star's fingers shook slightly as he opened it and inside he found a men's ring with a beautiful onyx ring. He took it out of the box and held it up, feeling something engraved into the inside of the band. He moved his thumb away to read the words out loud. 

"Where you go, I will go..." Adam felt a lump in his throat as he looked up at Blake. "So what are you saying, Blake?" A little smile quirked the corner of his lips. "Are YOU proposing?" 

"Well, I don't know if two guys can get married 'round here. Can't in Oklahoma..." It was Blake's turn to blush a little himself now. "But...you know...fuck the government. We might not be able to get married, but that doesn't mean we can't be together for good. An' someday, if you want...we could even, you know, have a little get together...make it, you know, kinda non-legal like offical . Though at the end of the day, all that matters is what we feel in our hearts...and my heart belongs to you. It's really that simple."

Adam laughed and let Blake put the ring on his finger. Then he took the necklace from the other man and draped the chain around his neck, fixing the clasp on it. Blake straightened it, letting the silver band and the little guitar charm fall against his chest. It was so strange they had both given each other tokens of commitment, but everything about the last nearly three years had been strange. And in the end, maybe that's why they were built to last. What they hadn't wasn't perfect, but it was strong and sometimes imperfect was even better. 

Perfectly imperfect. In the back of Adam's mind, he started to hear a bit of music. Most of the songs on his newest album had been influenced by Blake in one way or another, or flat out about Blake, but this time he could write a song openly about the man he loved. And how the course of their lives totally changed direction during that one, unforgettable season of the show that brought them together. 

"I love you, Blake." Adam took Blake's hand and held it tightly in his own. "And it's really that simple."


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue

Two Years Later....

 

Blake looked in the mirror and fumbled with his tie a bit. Normally he didn't mind wearing the damn things, but his hands were a little shaky at the moment. At least he'd convinced Adam that he should be wearing jeans for this adventure. He'd come pretty close to losing on that point, but then he pulled out the dimples. The dimples always worked on Adam.

When the tie was straightened to his satisfaction, he checked out his hair and took a deep breath. He'd wanted these last few moments alone, because honestly he was nervous as hell. 

Granted, it wasn't a flat out marriage. Well, it was in California. In Oklahoma, it was just him and Adam exchanging rings and saying a few words in front of twenty-five of their closest family and friends. And after today, the ring he'd worn on a chain around his neck for the last two years would be on his hand. 

For the rest of his life. 

Blake had vowed up and down he would never do the marriage thing again after two divorces, but he also knew that he wasn't very good at loving by halves. And it did mean a lot to both him and Adam to have the legal safeguards in place so that they could care for each other in an emergency. It also meant just as much, if not more, to be able to openly declare they were committed to each other for life. 

He gave one final glance into the mirror and decided he looked as good as he was going to look. His hair was more gunmetal grey than brown now and there were a few lines around his eyes, but he thought he was doing alright for forty. At least, that's how he felt with the way that Adam looked at him. 

"Here we go..." He couldn't help but smile at his reflection a moment before he turned away and headed out of the hotel room to pledge his life to the man he loved more than anything else. 

Though they'd both wanted a low profile but nice ceremony, the mothers had gone a little overboard and made sure the hotel's garden was perfectly decorated. Honestly Blake and Adam had both been happy to indulge them, it meant a lot to have their support. Especially from Blake's mother, whom he at first had dreaded talking to after his relationship with Adam had been outted. 

It was hard to believe it had been two years since then, but their lives had continued on. They were with each other as much as they could be with their careers still chugging along. Blake hadn't been sure the online thing would work, but he was still making music and that's what mattered to him, even if he would never have the success he'd had before his relationship with Adam came out. He was still a point of contention in the country music industry, but Blake would always be a country singer...though he'd picked up some rock influences from his partner and a little of everything else from his years on "The Voice." 

When he stepped out into the garden and saw Adam standing by the gazebo, he knew that the sacrafice he'd made in his career had been totally worth it. Popularity didn't last. You could have a long career, but you couldn't stay on the top of the charts forever. But he really did believe that love could last a lifetime. And he would trade all the awards and fame in the world for those quiet moments in the middle of the night listening to Adam's soft breathing, and feeling the warm press of the other man's body against his bare back. Those moments when everything in the world felt beautiful and right. 

Blake walked over to the gazebo and when his eyes met Adam's, he knew he was in the middle of another of those moments. He felt lucky to be alive, and lucky to be in love, even if it hadn't been an easy path to get to this point. 

"You ready for this, Big Country?" Adam smiled and reached for Blake's hand. 

Blake took Adam's hand and squeezed it gently as the piano music started and everyone around them took their seats. 

"I'm ready." He nodded and flashed a brilliant smile, dimples and all. "You're mine now, Rock Star."

"I've been yours since the first day we met." Dark eyes twinkled with humor and a twinge of emotion. "But I think you already knew that."

******

The party had lasted for a long time considering most of the group had been parents, a yenta, brothers, sisters and a few friends. Not your usual party animal crowd, though he should've known that Blake's family would know how to party regardless of age. Rednecks made even LA natives look tame. But somehow they avoided turning the evening into an episode of COPS. 

It was a little after midnight after the last guest left, leaving the newlyweds to enjoy their hotel room upstairs. Adam had chosen the hotel not only for the garden that would make a perfect setting for the ceremony and reception, but also because there were some great views of the mountains, something he knew Blake had come to love about California. 

Adam lagged behind to make sure his Mom got into her car okay, then went up to meet his...well, they hadn't quite decided on the pronoun yet. Husbands? Partners? Lifemates? Soulmates seemed fitting, but Blake said it was corny. At least with his mouth. The country star's eyes always twinkled at the phrase in a manner that gave his true feelings away.

After struggling with the keycard a few moments, Adam burst through the door. "Honey, I'm home!" 

"On the balcony..." Blake's voice called from the direction of the bedroom. 

On his way through the sitting room, Adam grabbed a bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket sitting on the coffee table and two glasses. Blake probably would prefer beer, but they could be fancy just this once. They had a lifetime of beer ahead of them...and right now, that made the rock star feel like the luckiest man on earth. 

Crossing the bedroom, Adam paused in the doorway that lead out to the balcony. The hotel was far enough out in the country that the stars were the center attraction of the light show in the night sky above them, nicely complimented by a crescent moon. There was enough light to see that Blake was sitting in one of the two chairs, tie undone and slouched down. The man was forty years old and he still hadn't mastered sitting up straight except when it was totally necessary...one of a million little things Adam loved about his country star so much.

"You find the champagne?" Blake asked Adam without turning towards him. 

"Oh yeah," He chuckled and slipped into the chair beside his beloved. "Time to pop the cork on this baby..." 

"Thank God you stayed sober enough to pop the cork. I'm not sure I could right now," The cowboy laughed and turned to Adam. "That was pretty damn amazing, wasn't it?" 

"Yeah..." Adam agreed, frowning in concentration as he fumbled with the cork. With a loud pop, it went sailing off into the night. "Oh shit..."

Blake started laughing, the sound booming through the darkness along with the clapping of his hands. "Touch down!" 

Adam couldn't reply right away because the champagne was flowing out of the bottle in a flood. He lifted it his mouth hurriedly and drank, ending up with much more in his mouth than he expected. So much that he started coughing, the bubbles rising up into her throat and making his nose burn. 

"Easy there.." Blake slapped him on the back several times. "I would think a rock star would know how to drink champagne." 

Adam squeaked a hoarse reply, still coughing a little. He let Blake take the bottle of out of his hands and watched as his partner took a big drink. He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his blazer without a single cough. 

"Oh shut up..." He managed to wheeze in reply. "You probably think champagne is better in a mason jar too."

"Fuck yeah!" Blake laughed and sat the bottle down on the little table at his side. Then he belched quietly against the back of his hand. 

"You can take the redneck out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the redneck." Adam countered teasingly.

"Damn straight." He smirked back. "And now you're a redneck by marriage, so we might have to get us some mason jars." 

Adam groaned and pretended to look aghast. Then his eyes caught Blake's and they both cracked up. Their hands met in the darkness, fingers entwining like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

"If that's what makes you happy...well...they used to say happy wife, happy life." He shrugged, smiling a little. 

"I'm not the wife." Blake shot him a withering look in the dark. "And neither are you. We're both the husbands, I guess. Or Partners. Whatever." 

The country singer paused a moment, giving Adam's hand a little squeeze before he continued. "I don't think the title thing matters, really. What matters is that you're mine and I'm yours. Forever." 

Adam felt a lump of emotion come into his throat and he nodded in the darkness. Every night he'd gone to bed thinking Blake would never return his love had been worth it to have him for the rest of his life. Every moment of fear, every risk, it had all been worth it. 

"I couldn't agree more." He replied, tugging Blake's hand lightly to get him to look over. Then Adam leaned over and claimed his mouth gently, feeling like his heart might explode from happiness. 

And the very best part of all was knowing that when he woke up the next morning, Blake would be there at his side. And the next morning. And the next. As the years passed by and they grew old together. Life wouldn't be perfect, it never was, but whatever they faced in the future they could get through because they had each other. 

Always.


End file.
